187 A Promise (1/2)

Speaking of Jeanne, Li wondered what the adventurers were up to now. They had been gone for a little over two weeks now, having been called down south on a mission of some importance involving the appearance of wraiths and ghosts, and most parties with powerful priests had been called down.

With demons becoming a looming threat, Li expected that Triple Threat would make their way back to Riviera soon enough when the news spread of the attempted attack. They would not abandon their hometown, even if they were now gold-ranked and acting at a duchy-wide capacity.

”And that, little lass, is how I beat that demon knight up right and proper. My fists made great dents in his blazing armor, and when I shattered his blade wrapped up in bright fire, both of us knew it was over,” said Old Thane with a wide smile as he reminisced of the battles he had fought in the past.

Li had heard this story too, how the old man punched his way through a sea of lesser demons to challenge the commanding knight in a duel.

”Did you kill?” asked Tia innocently. It was a little jarring hearing a little girl speaking about murdering, but then again, it was unsurprising considering she was not exactly human.

”No, I did not,” said Old Thane. ”Both of us were warriors fighting at different ends, but we were still warriors, and we knew that the fight that we gave each other was a joy in of itself. He withdrew his forces, and we promised that in years to come, should fate will it, we would face each other once more.”

Old Thane rubbed his back. ”Though, I fear, I may be less a challenge now, heh.”

”But demons evil,” said Tia. ”Sister Jeanne says so.”

”Hrm.” Old Thane stroked his beard in thought. ”Aye, certainly, the demons were no radiant saviors. Quite the contrary, really, but when I was that young, I had little thought of right and wrong. Only the fight.

But you know, lass, now that this hard head's had more years to think, I would dare to say that it is precious rare that anything can be called truly evil or truly good. Many who shout loudly of justice often hold great darkness in their hearts, whilst many who have known but darkness may show hearts of gold when the time arises.”

Tia nodded slowly, trying to digest the complicated topic.

Old Thane noticed her confusion, and he spoke more. ”That demon knight, I spared for the gift of battle he granted me. In return, he withdrew his army. Should I have killed him in cold blood, then most certainly, his forces would have continued their relentless assault.

”You know, this bedtime story is a little violent to be telling a child,” said Li jokingly as he neared the fireplace.

”Ah, lad, you're back! You missed my grand tale, and I tell you now, nothing is better to make this little one strong than tales of great feats. Certainly, old tales of heroism inspired me.”

”Old man, if that were true, with how many times you've told your tales to me, I should be able to rule this world by now,” said Li.

”But I'm already strong!” pouted Tia.

Li knelt next to her, putting a hand to her head. ”I don't believe it. How can someone so strong be so tiny?”

”Look!” Tia protested by grabbing Li's arm and chomping down on it to prove her strength. It was a playful act, but certainly, it would have been a frightening thing to see for any regular human observer. Her teeth, even as a child, were developed and meant for tearing apart flesh and crushing bone.

When she bit down on his arm, she shredded the fabric of his clothes, though of course, she could not pierce through his skin. Judging by the amount of force she used, Li determined that she had, indeed, become stronger since the days she could rip apart wolves.

Now, he judged she could probably easily turn even some enchanted metals into scrap.

Which made Li realize that he was not the only one who had to begin learning to fine tune his power. Soon enough, he would have to get her to control her strength too. She was isolated from the city people, and many were quite afraid of her due to her appearance, so the only humans she regularly interacted with were Old Thane and Triple Threat – all quite sturdy compared to the average person.